Tapping device for liquid-containing vessels



March 20, 1951 G. LAMOUREUX TAPPING DEVICE FOR LIQUID-CONTAINING VESSELSFiled Feb. 2 1947 T2 0r.- 62072" Lamaarazq Maw 3 [1 which, in turn, willconduct the fluids to a y desired location.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, there is illustrated a verticalsectional view through a portion of the side wall l8 and the bottom wall|9 of the keg in which is formed the usual tapping hole 20. This tappinghole 20 is defined by means of an inwardly projecting cylindrical wallmember 2| the inner portion of which is provided with an annular rib 2?.and the opposite end portion of which is threaded as at 23. This tappinghole is adapted to receive a hollow cylindrical sleeve member 24 whichis provided with an annular head 25 having an outwardly projecting key26. The key 26 is slidingly received within a key slot 21 formed in theperipheral wall portion of the hole 23. Thus, the key 26 and key slot 21function to prevent the turning of the sleeve 24 within the tapping hole'20. In order positively to secure the sleeve 24 within the tapping holea locking ring as is screwed into the forward portion of the holethereby to bear against the head portion 25 of the sleeve. A sealinggasket 29 is positioned between the rib 22 and the rear shoulder of thehead 25 so that when the ring 28 is tightened against the head it willbe effective to compress the gasket 29 to the end that no liquids mayescape through the hole 29 about the outside of the sleeve 24.

The inner portion of the sleeve 24 is closed over by means of a backwall 3|! which is provided with a pair of apertures or inlet ports 3|and 32 circumferentially spaced within the back wall and also acentrally disposed aperture 33 which is adapted to receive a stud or keymember 34. This stud member 34 is provided with an annular disk 35 whichabuts the inner face of the back wall SB, and projecting inwardly fromthe disk 35 is a diamond shaped key head 35. As thus described, thepresent sleeve and stud combination is broadly old and in the past suchstuds had mounted on their distal ends a valve unit which was effectivein one position to block off completely the apertures 3| and 32 from theinner portion of the keg thereby to prevent the fluid contents thereoffrom issuing through the central portion of the sleeve 24. Furthermore,when ver a. faucet member (which will be described hereinafter) wasinserted into the sleeve and in engagement with the key head 36 thefaucet could be turned for the purpose of turning the stud 34 to the endthat the valve unit would be rotated so as to expose the apertures 35and 32 for the purpose of permitting the liquid to flow out of thetapping hole through the sleeve member 24.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that since, bynecessity, the apertures 3| and 32 are located a substantial distanceabove the keg bottom i9 it would be impossible to clear the kegcompletely by forcing the liquid contents thereof through theseapertures by merely exposing the same tothe liquid and applying airpressure to the inner portion of the keg. Therefore, the presentinvention contemplates the provision of a novel valve unit whichcomprises a substantially circular body member 3'! which is mounted uponthe distal end of the stud 34. The stud may be provided with a key 38which will mate with a keyway 33 provided within a central bore 49 ofthe member 31. Thus, the member 31 is prevented from turning relative tothe stud 34. In order to prevent endwise movements of the stud 34 theextreme-end portion thereof is threaded as at 4| thereby to receive apair of look nuts 42, 42 which will be effective to draw the member 3'!towards the rear wall 39 of the sleeve 24. Positioned between the backwall 30 of the sleeve 24 and the member 3! is a cylindrical asket 43which is secured upon the face 44 of the member 31 by means of anappropriate adhesive. Thus, whenever the member 31 is turned the gasket43 will move in synchronism therewith. Positioned between the nuts 42and the member 31 is a washer 45 which is adapted to bear against ashoulder portion 46 of the member 31 and also to bear against a gasketmember 41 which is positioned within a recess 48 formed within themember 31 and about the stud 34. From the above it will be understoodthat the gaskets 43 and 41 will be effective to prevent any leakage ofthe fluid into the central portion of the sleeve 24 about the stud 34.Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the valve member 31 hasprojecting outwardly from its central hub portion 49 a hollow tube orconduit member 53. This tube or conduit member 50 is provided with abore 5| which opens through the face of the valve member 44 thereby toregister with the inlet port 32 provided in the back wall 3|] of thesleeve 24. An aperture 52 is provided in the gasket 43 so that it willregister with the aperture 32 and core 5| thereby to permit free passageof the fluids through the bore 5| and into the sleeve 24 whenever thebore is'placed in register with the aperture 32. Fig. 2 discloses thevalve unit disposed so that it may haveits bore 5| in register with theaperture 32 and thus function to clear the keg of its licuid contentswhenever the liquid is placed under air pressure. It is to beparticularly noted that the tube element 53 rojects beyond the confinesof the sleeve 24 and depends downwardly from the valve member 31 to apoint immediately adjacent the bottom portion of the keg l9. From thisit will be understood that the present valve unit will adapt the abovedescribed tapping unit so that the latter may be effective to clearsubstantially all of the liquid contents from the keg. Fig. 4illustrates the valve unit, in solid lines, as positioned for clearingthe keg and, in dotted lines, it is shown in its closed or initialposition so that the apertures 3| and 32 will be completely blocked off;it being understood that whenever the present valve unit 31 is appliedto such a tapping unit the aperture 3| is rendered ineffective at alltimes.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7, the present valve unit isadapted to be actuated by means of the usual faucet or draw-off membergenerally designated by the numeral Hi. It will be sufficient to saythat this faucet member includes the usual cook 53 and spout 54 whichare applied to a hollow draw-off tube 55 the free end portion of whichis provided with a head member 56 about the periphery of which is formeda pair of circumferentially spaced coupling means or lugs 51, 58.Projecting outwardly from the head member 56 is a usual key portion 59having a diamond shaped opening 60 formed therein for the purpose ofreceiving the key member 36 of the stud 34. Disposed about the peripheryof the member 59 are a plurality of apertures 6|, 6| which place a bore62 of the draw-01f tube in communication with the outside. In operation,the faucet member [6 is adapted to be inserted within the forwardportion of the sleeve 24 so that the lugs 51 and 58 will each engage arespective one of the L-shaped slots 63 and 64 after which the faucet isturned in a clockwise direction thereby to lock the same within thesleeve, all in the usual manner. Over the member 59 there is placed agasket 65 which is adapted to be positioned between the head member 56of the faucet and an annular rib member 66 of the sleeve unit to the endthat no liquid may escape out through the tapping hole about the headmember 56 of the faucet. It is to be understood that whenever the faucetmember is initially placed within the sleeve 24 the diamond shapedopening 60 will receive the similarly shaped key 36 and thus when thefaucet is turned in a clockwise direction in order to lock the samewithin the sleeve, the valve unit will be shifted from its closedposition to its open position. Thus, by the same token, when the faucetmember is removed from the sleeve it will be necessary to turn the samein a counterclockwise direction From the above it is to be understoodthat the present valve unit 31 comprises a means which may beeconomically manufactured and which at the same time may be appliedreadily to the usual existing type of keg-tapping unit to the end thatthe latter may be rendered effective for clearing a keg of substantiallyall of its liquid contents thereby saving substantial sums of money forthe user of such units.

I claim:

6 2. In a device for sealing and opening the tapping hole of a liquidcontainer, said device having a sleeve adapted to be applied to the 1tapping hole of the container, a back wall closing over the inner endportion of said sleeve and having an inlet port therein, a key rotatablymounted Within said back wall and axially of said sleeve, coupling meansprovided within said sleeve, a draw-off member having complementarycoupling means and adapted to be rotated in one direction for lockingand in an opposite direction for unlocking the same to and from saidsleeve, and means carried by said draw-oil member for engaging said keyso as to rotate the same in synchronism with said draw-off member; thecombination which consists in the provision of avalve member, said valvemember comprising, a body portion secured upon and -turnable with saidkey and disposed adjacent the outside face of said back wall, and anelongated hollow tube projecting from said body portion and radially ofsaid sleeve so as to project a substantial distance beyond the confinesof said sleeve, said hollow tube being disposed in communication withsaid sleeve through said inlet port when said draw-01f member is in itslocked position.

3. The combination with a liquid container having a tapping holedisposed in a side Wall adjacent the bottom portion thereof, of a sleeveadapted to be applied to said tapping hole, a

key rotatably mounted within and axially of said sleeve, coupling meansprovided within said sleeve, a draw-off member having complemen- 1. In adevice for sealing and opening the tapping hole of a liquid container,said device having a sleeve adapted to be applied to the tapping hole ofthe container, a key rotatably mounted within and axially of saidsleeve, coupling means provided within said sleeve, a draw-off memberhaving complementary coupling means and adapted to be rotated in onedirection for locking and in an opposite direc- I tion for unlocking thesame to and from said sleeve, and means carried by said draw-01f memberfor engaging said key so as to rotate the same in synchronism with saiddraw-off member; the combination which consists in the turnable withsaid key from a closed to an open position as said draw-off member isrotated from its unlocked to its locked position, said valve membercomprising, a body portion secured upon said key, and a conduit member,in communication with said sleeve in the open position of a provision ofa valve member mounted upon and said valve member, and projecting fromsaid no body portion and outwardly relative to said sleeve so as toproject a. substantial distance beyond the confines of said sleeve.

tary coupling means and adapted to be rotated in one direction forlocking and in an opposite direction for unlocking the same to and. fromsaid sleeve, means carried by said draw-off memher for engaging said keyso as to rotate the same in synchronism with said draw-01f memher; avalve member mounted upon and turnable with said key from a closed to ano en position as said draw-off member is rotated from its unlocked toits locked position, and an elongated hollow tube projecting from saidvalve and radially of said sleeve so as to project a substantialdistance beyond the confines of said sleeve, said hollow tube being incommunication with said sleeve, and having its free end portion disposedimmediately adjacent the bottom portion of said container whenever saidvalve is in its open position.

GEORGE LAMOUREUX.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

FOREIGN PA-TENTS

